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More Laughs for Tom Rukavina

Many colleagues and community members turned out for a roast on Monday for retiring Minnesota Representative Tom Rukavina. After 26 years in office, Rep. Rukavina said it was time to step down.

It was a packed house at the Mt. Iron Community Center for the roast, with plenty of political power from across the state. But the atmosphere was a friendly, reminiscent one.

Here are a few additional comments made by Governor Mark Dayton, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Rukavina's daughter Ida.

Governor Mark Dayton said Rukavina has always been someone to speak from his convictions.

"...there comes a time when you have to pass the torch to the next generation. Jason, Carly, Tom. Do you remember when we were their age? The Model-T had just come out," Gov. Dayton said. He also added, "TV ratings for the house sessions are going to plummet!"

Dayton also threw in a couple of his own remarks about Rukavina's reputation for often saying exactly what's on his mind.

"For someone who claims he never thought about what he was going to say until he said it, most of it came out remarkably well. Most of it," Dayton said.

Rukavina's daughter took to the podium to talk about their father-daughter relationship.

"My dad is one of the kindest, most loving fathers a girl could ever have. He's got a heart of gold and would do just about anything to help most people. He'd give the shirt off his back...it just won't fit most people," she joked.

Senator Amy Klobuchar reminisced about the years of working with Rukavina. " We all know your refreshingly honest Tommy," she said. "Because who else would have the guts to call himself, on statewide media, that you're the political love child of Paul Wellstone and Jesse Ventura!"

The roast was also a fundraiser for scholarships in Tom Rukavina's name.